Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.
Divination – i. e., conjuring, the abuse of the less understood powers of nature. It was strictly forbidden to all Jews Deu 18:10.
A thing of nought – Probably a small idol made of the more precious metals Isa 2:20. These methods the prophet declares to be the deceit of their heart, i. e., not self-deceit, but a willful and intentional fraud.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. The prophets prophesy lies] They say they have visions, but they have them by divination, and they are false. The people should know their character, and avoid them; but they love to have it so, and will not be undeceived.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They did not only prophesy falsehoods, but lies, what they knew to be false; for they pretended that God had revealed such things unto them; for admit the things they spake (as to men) but future contingencies, which might be true or false, yet it was a lie for them to pretend that God had told them any such things. The things were certainly false in themselves, being contrary to Gods revelation; but setting that aside, for them to pretend God had revealed that to them which he had not revealed was a formed lie. God denieth that he ever commanded them to speak any such things, or sent them upon any such errands; they prophesied what came in their own foolish heads, and the deceits of their own hearts.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. (Jer23:21).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said the Lord unto me,…. In reply to the above excuse, in favour of the people:
the prophets prophesy lies in my name; it is a wicked thing to tell lies; it is more so to foretell them, and that in the name of the Lord; pretending they have his authority, and are under the influence and guidance of his Spirit; and it was sinful in the people to give credit to them, and the more so in that they were forewarned of these prophets and their lies, and had the reverse told them by a true prophet of the Lord, and therefore were inexcusable.
I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them; all which are requisite to a prophet, or to a man’s prophesying in the name of the Lord; he ought to have his mission from him, and his commission from him; his orders and credentials from him, and the things themselves which he delivers; neither of which those prophets had; nor were they able to make out those things to the people, of which they should have had satisfaction before they believed them, and therefore were highly to blame in giving heed unto them.
They prophecy unto you a false vision; or, “a vision of falsehood” m; pretending they had a vision from the Lord, when they had none:
and divination; soothsaying or astrology, as some interpret it, as Kimchi observes; foretelling things by the stars:
and a thing of nought; which is good for nothing, and comes to nothing:
and the deceit of their hearts; which flows from their deceitful hearts and vain imaginations, and by no means to be depended upon.
m “visionem mendacii”, Schmidt; “visionem falsitatis”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
We now see more clearly why the Prophet related his own complaint, and also his astonishment, of which God alone had been the witness, and that was, that the people might be more attentive to his warning. For had he only said, “The prophets deceive you, and God would have this to be made known to you,” his address would not have been so powerful, as when this question precedes, “Lord God, what is this? the prophets promise peace to this people, and forbid them to fear pestilence and war.” As then the Prophet had set forth this according to his own view and the common view of the whole people, the answer, as I have said, becomes more forcible, and more easily penetrates into the mind. God then gives this answer, Falsehood do the prophets prophesy in my name
In my name, is emphatical; for God reminds us, that we ought to beware of every appearance of falsehood, that we ought not easily and rashly, and without discrimination, to believe all prophecies; for not everything boasted of as being divine is really so. We then see that this is a remarkable passage; for God reminds us, that we ought to exercise judgment as to prophecies, so that we may not be inconsiderately led away by anything brought forward under the pretext of his name. He would have us therefore wisely to distinguish between things; and hence I have said that this passage deserves to be specially noticed the Papists at this day vainly boast of their titles, and say that they are the real Church, that they are the pastors, and that the Church of God is the pinar of the truth; and thus they astonish and confound the simple, so that every discrimination is taken away, and whatever it pleases them to determine is to be received as an oracle. But God shews here, by the mouth of Jeremiah, that we are not rashly to believe every kind of prophecy. In my name, he says, the prophets prophesy, as though he had said, “My name is often impiously profaned by men. As then there are many who pass themselves as my servants and prophets, and who also occupy a place of dignity and exercise the ordinary office, yea, as there is such depravity in men, that they are not ashamed to abuse my name, wisdom and discretion ought to be exercised.” This is the first thing; for God intimates, that it is not enough for men to claim the prophetic office, except they also prove that they are true and faithful prophets.
He afterwards adds, I have not sent them, nor have I commanded them, neither have I spoken to them; a vision of falsehood, etc He here takes away authority from the false prophets; for he had not sent them, nor commanded them to speak, nor spoken to them. The latter clause is more general than the rest: but these three things ought to be carefully noticed, for they serve to distinguish true from false prophets. It was then God’s purpose to mention here certain marks by which the difference between true and false prophets may be known.
He says first, that they were not sent, for they obtruded themselves. Hence a call is necessary, for God would not have disorder and confusion in his ChurJeremiah It is indeed true that the call of Jeremiah was extraordinary; for when the state of the Church was rightly formed, the chief priest was the teacher of religion and true doctrine, who was now the adversary of God’s faithful servant. There were indeed some, like Amos, who were taken from the common people; yet there were none more fit for the prophetic office than the priests, for they were, as Malachi says, the messengers of the God of hosts. (Mal 2:4) But when they became degenerate, God, in order to reproach them, raised up other prophets from obscure vinages and from the common people. It was then sometimes an interior call only; but when the Church was duly formed, a regular outward call was also necessary. However this may have been, it is certain that such as were not called by God, falsely and wickedly pretended to have his authority, being both without the outward call and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is the first thing.
It then follows, I have not commanded them Here is the second mark of distinction; for God testifies that no credit is due to the prophets, except as far as they faithfully deliver, as it were from hand to hand, what has been committed to them. If then a prophet mingles anything of his own, he is proved to be false and is not worthy of any credit. Let us hence know, that prophets are not endued with any other power, but to deliver faithfully what has been committed to them from above.
But the third mark, which is added, is still more clear: God says, that he had not spoken to them; for he thus intimates that no voice but his ought to be heard in the ChurJeremiah Why then does he bid honor and reverence to be payed to his prophets? Even because they bring nothing but what he has delivered. We hence see how God allows men no power of their own to rule in his Church; but he will have obedience to be rendered to himself, so that their duty is faithfully to declare what he has committed to them. Therefore as to the command, it refers to what was particular; but when he says, I have not spoken to them, what was general is intended; it is the same as though he had said, that it was not lawful nor right for prophets and teachers to bring forward anything but what they had received from heaven.
Hence he concludes, that they spoke falsehood and impostures, and divination and vanity, and the deceit of their own heart. (116) We hence see that as soon as men depart even in the smallest degree from God’s word, they cannot preach anything but falsehoods, wmities, impostures, errors, and deceits: and all who thoughtlessly give credit to men, without considering whether they have been sent by God, and faithfully deliver what he has committed to them, wilfully perish. But on this subject more shall be said.
(116) I render the verse as follows, —
14. And Jehovah said to me, — Falsehood do the prophets prophesy in my name; I have not sent them, nor given them a command, Nor have I spoken to them: A vision of the fidsehood and divination, And vanity and delusion of their own heart, Do these of themselves prophesy to you.
God had not sent them, the final act; he had given them no command or commission, the preceding act; he had not spoken to them, the first act. God first speaks, then gives a commission, and afterwards sends forth his servants. The vision the false prophets had was that of the falsehood of their own heart, of the divination, of the vanity, and of the delusion of their own heart. Such seems to be the meaning given by the Septuagint and the Vulgate. It was the lying vision of their own heart, it was the divination or the presage, the vanity, and the delusion of their own heart. The word for “prophesy” in the last line is in Hitthpael; and hence “of themselves” is added.
Blayney gives a different view; his version is, —
A false vision, and divination, and vanity, And the guile of their own heart, do these prophesy unto you.
He considers “a false vision” to be an imaginary revelation; “divination,” to be something discovered by that art; “vanity,” to be the oracular response of an idol; and “guile,” to be the fraudulent suggestion of their own heart.
But the simplest exposition is what I have stated: The vision, being that of their own heart, was false; it was their own divination or prognostication; it was worthless, vain, and empty; it was the effect of their own delusion. This was the character of what they prophesied. We may render the words thus, —
The false vision and the divination And the vanity and the delusion of their own heart, Do these of themselves prophesy to you.
—
Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) They prophesy unto you . . .The four forms of the evil are carefully enumerated: (1) the false vision, false as being but the dream of a disordered fancy; (2) divination, by signs and auguries, as, e.g., by arrows (Eze. 21:21) or cups (Gen. 44:5); (3) by a thing of nought, or, more accurately, the idol or small image of a god, used as the Teraphim were used (Eze. 21:21; Zec. 10:2), as in some way forecasting the future; (4) the deceit of their heart, i.e., an imposture pure and simple, the fraud of a deliberately counterfeit inspiration.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. The prophets prophesy lies The plea is not admitted. This false prophesying was itself the outgrowth of deeper apostasy and rebellion. It is not the cause, but only one of the forms, of the evil.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
Ver. 14. The prophets prophesy falsely in my name, &c. ] These are certain signs of impostors in the Church in all ages, against whom, now, if ever, the temple doors had need be well guarded, and the pulpit doors have written on them, O , Let no unworthy creature presume to come here.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sent . . . commanded . . . spake. Compare Jer 7:22; Jer 23:21.
you. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read “them”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
The prophets: Jer 23:25, Jer 23:26, Jer 27:10, Jer 27:14, Jer 28:13, Jer 29:21, Jer 37:19, Isa 9:15, Zec 13:3, 1Ti 4:2
I sent: Jer 23:14-16, Jer 23:21-32, Jer 27:15, Jer 28:15, Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9, Jer 29:31, Isa 30:10, Isa 30:11, 2Th 2:9-11
divination: Jer 27:9, Jer 27:10, Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9, Jer 29:31, Eze 12:24, Eze 13:6, Eze 13:7, Eze 13:23, Eze 21:29, Mic 3:11, Zec 10:2
and the: Jer 23:26, Isa 30:10, Lam 2:14
Reciprocal: Gen 3:5 – God Deu 18:20 – the prophet 1Ki 22:6 – Go up Neh 6:12 – God had Isa 28:7 – err in Isa 56:10 – are blind Jer 4:10 – surely Jer 5:12 – have belied Jer 5:31 – prophets Jer 7:8 – ye trust Jer 8:11 – they Jer 18:18 – for the Jer 20:6 – thy friends Jer 23:16 – a vision Jer 23:17 – Ye Jer 23:30 – General Lam 4:13 – the sins Mic 2:11 – a man Mic 3:5 – concerning Mat 7:15 – false Mat 24:5 – in Mar 13:6 – many
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 14:14. The Lord explained to Jeremiah that these men forged His name to their lying prophecies. People will often swallow a false doctrine if the speaker of it uses the name of the Lord in connection with it. But God had never even asked the men to go forth as prophets, much less authorized them to give the people any assurances of peace. Vision and divination are practically the same and mean some supernatural insight into the future. Nought is from a word that Strong defines good for nothing,” and the original for deeeif is defined fraud. The two words just defined form a very significant thought. It would be possible for a thiug to be useless without doing any particular harm actively. But the teaching of these false prophets not only was of no good purpose; it was fraudulent which means it acted in a way to defraud the people of some of their rights.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The Lord replied that He had not sent those prophets. Their prophecies were their own concoctions, not messages from Him. They had misread the covenant badly if they had concluded that disobedience would not bring inevitable punishment.